Aluminum-solder.



I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES R. ERKENS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR T SIMPLEX ALUMINUMSOLDIER COMPANY INC., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF YORK.

ALUMINUM-SOLDER.

No Drawing.

Specification of Letters Patent.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES R. ERKENS,

a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York,borough of Manhattan, in the county and State of New York, have inventeda new and Improved Aluminum-Solder, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to an improved alloy to be used as a solder foruniting one strip or piece of aluminum to another, or for uniting onepiece of aluminum to any other suitable metal.

Among the objects of this invention is to provide a solder of the classindicated which may be used for the purpose stated Without requiring theheating of the parts to be united by a blow pipe or otherwise, andwhereby the improved solder may be manipulated by the use of a commonsoldering iron in the hands of any one either skilled or unskilled inthe soldering art, the process of applying this solder being evensimpler than the process followed in the soldering of common tin waresFrom my extensive experience in the art to which this invention relates,I have found great difficulty in attempting to use any of thecompositions of matter which have heretofore been proposed for solderingaluminum. Most of such compositions on the market depend for a principalingredient 'the use of aluminum. Because of the nat-' ural properties ofaluminum it is diflicult and even many times impossible toform with it aperfect alloy'with other metals, which accounts for the granularappearance of the solder when applied to the job. Again, it is neitherdesirable nor expedient, at least for a layman, to undertake to followthe directions in the use of an aluminum solder which requiresthat theparts to be joined must be heated, or which requires ablow pipe to applythe solder. Among the reasons for this objection is the fact that theapplication of heat is likely to carry with it an application of animpurity to the surfaces which are supposed to be substantially clean inorder to provide a perfect union.

My method of preparing this aluminum solder consists essentially inmelting or mixing together in suitable proportions the following metalsor their equivalents: block tin, zinc, lead, antimony, bismuth, and

chromium. The bismuth and chromium are metals having a high degree offluidity when melted, and they or their equivalents are used for thepurpose of making the solder run freely when being applied.

The foregoing metals may be of substantially commercial purity, andhence I amv enabled through the process of formation herein described,to produce a satisfactory aluminum solder at such a low cost as to bringit within the reach of every householder. The proportions of theforegoing metals which I have found most suitable are as follows byweight:

- parts block tin,

15 zinc,

1O lead,

5 antimony, 5 bismuth, 5 chromium.

100 parts.

calcium, to each five pounds of the above alloy. For a like amount ofmaterial I will use preferably as a binding agent about two drams 'ofsulfur. I have found by careful experiment and analysis that about 5% ofthe oxidizing and cleansing agents used will be retained by the alloywhich will serve to take the place of the acid or flux commonly used inthe ordinary soldering process.

The proportions of the primary metals above indicated may be varied to acertain extent according to, the degree ofhardness of the productdesired, and I, therefore, ,do

not wish to be limited unnecessarily to the exact proportions orspecific ingredients enumerated.

Having thus describedmy invention, What I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. The herein described method of mak- Patented July 23, 1912. 1application filed May 2, 1912. Serial No. 694,595.

ing aluminum solder which comprises the melting together of block tin,zinc, antimony and a metal having a high degree of fluidity, adding tothe molten alloy an oxi:

dizing 'agent for cleansing purposes, and

then further cleansing the alloy by a suitable binder for theimpurities.

2. The herein described process of preparing an aluminum solder whichcomprises the melting together of suitable metal ingredients, adding tothe molten alloy a certain quantity of salicylic acid and calcium as acleansing agent, and then introducing a certain quantity of sulfur as abinding agent for the impurities, a small portion of the cleansing agentbeing retained in the alloy. i

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

- CHAS. R. ERKENS. Witnesses GEO. L. BEELER, PHILIP D. RoLLHAUs.

